Nebraska came to the L.A. Coliseum with two straight national titles and a 32-game winning streak. UCLA was coming off a 2-7-1 season. But the Bruins, led by a quarterback named Mark Harmon, switched to the wishbone and the Bruins’ defense forced five turnovers. Harmon looks back at that game.

LaMichael James is just one of the many talents that reside in Oregon's backfield.

A look around the Pac-12:

• Oregon. The national runner-ups should be even better in the backfield this year. Not only is quarterback Darron Thomas back but so is Heisman finalist LaMichael James and his backup, Kenjon Barner, whose 6.1-yards-per play average topped James’ 5.9.

But now the tailback position adds freshmen Tra Carson, who broke James’ single season rushing record in high school last year, and De’Anthony Thomas, who switched his commitment from USC to Oregon.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.